1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery terminal to be installed on an electrode (battery post) of a battery mounted on a car or the like and more particularly to the battery terminal to be installed on the battery post in a desired direction, for example, vertically, obliquely or horizontally.
2. Description of the Related Arts
As shown in FIG. 7, a battery post 2 projecting upward from the upper surface of a battery 1 is inserted into an electrode engaging portion 3a of a battery terminal 3. A bolt 4 is horizontally inserted into a bolt opening of a substrate 3b and that of a tightening plate 3c. A nut 6 is tightened horizontally on the bolt 4 with an impact wrench 5 disposed horizontally. Then, the electrode engaging portion 3a is pressed against the battery post 2 to fix the battery terminal 3 to the battery post 2.
In recent years, component parts are installed in the engine room of the car in a high density. For example, projections such as an air duct higher than the battery post or electric wires are installed in the periphery of the battery. In tightening the nut 6 on the bolt 4, with the bolt 4 and the impact wrench 5 disposed horizontally, the following problems occur: The impact wrench 5 may contact other parts and thus it is difficult to tighten the nut 6 on the bolt 4 or it is impossible to tighten the nut 6 thereon if there is no space in which the impact wrench 5 can be placed horizontally.
If the impact wrench 5 and other parts interfere with each other while the plus side of the battery post is being tightened, a short circuit occurs when the impact wrench 5 interferes with the minus side thereof. Even a fire may occur in the car. Therefore, it is necessary to alter the configurations of other parts so as to prevent the interference between the impact wrench 5 and other parts.
In order to overcome the above-described problems, the following battery terminal is proposed in Examined Japanese Patent Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 4-7567 as shown in FIG. 8: That is, the bolt 4 is inclined at an acute angle with respect to the axis of the electrode engaging portion 3a of the battery terminal 3, and the nut 6 is tightened obliquely downward toward the head of the bolt 4 by the impact wrench 5.
The following battery terminal is also proposed in Examined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-9736 as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B: That is, the battery terminal comprises a substrate 3b'; a tightening plate 3c' opposed to each other and inversely tapered; and a crimping plate 7 inversely tapered and stretching over the substrate 3b' and the tightening plate 3c'. The bolt 4 is tightened downward on the crimping plate 7 so that the crimping plate 7 presses substrate 3b' and the tightening plate 3c' downward. In this manner, an electrode engaging portion 3a' is pressed against the battery post 2.
In the above described battery terminal shown in FIG. 8, since the nut 6 is tightened downward obliquely, the substrate 3b and the tightening plate 3c are formed by imparting torsion thereto so that they incline with respect to the axial direction of the electrode engaging portion 3a. The direction in which the twisted substrate 3b and the tightening plate 3c are moved toward each other is different from the direction in which the electrode engaging portion 3a is pressed against the peripheral surface of the battery post 2. Therefore, the force generated by the nut 6 tightened on the bolt 4 cannot be preferably applied to the direction in which the electrode engaging portion 3a is pressed against the peripheral surface of the battery post 2.
In the battery terminal shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, both sides of the crimping plate 7 are inversely tapered. As a result, the force generated by the nut 6 tightened on the bolt 4 acts outward as well as inward and thus, the sides 7a and 7b of the crimping plate 7 do not preferably apply tightening force inward to the substrate 3b' and the tightening plate 3c'. As a result, there is a disadvantage that the electrode engaging portion 3a' cannot be reliably pressed against the battery post 2.
In the battery terminal disclosed in Examined Japanese Patent Laid-Open Utility Model Publications No. 4-7567, the nut is tightened only obliquely. In the battery terminal disclosed in Examined Japanese Patent Laid-Open Utility Model Publications No. 4-9736, the bolt is tightened only laterally or vertically. The installing position of main bodies of battery terminals are varied depending on the kind of a car. For example, an operator has difficulty in tightening the bolt vertically when the distance between the operator and the battery is long. The operator has also difficulty in tightening the bolt obliquely when the distance between the operator and the battery is short. The operator has also difficulty in tightening the bolt laterally because there is often a small space into which an impact wrench for tightening the bolt is inserted. Thus, it is necessary to select a battery terminal in installing it on the battery depending on the kind of a car.